Nevermind
Nevermind is an adventure horror game in which one plays as a Neuroprober - a type of physician who is able to venture into the minds of psychological trauma victims for whom traditional treatment methods have proven ineffective. Summary Nevermind is – at its core – an adventure game (in the spirit of classic games like Myst), where the player must explore strange worlds and solve puzzles to unlock the terrifying mystery that lurks within each patient’s inner psyche. In Nevermind, you play as a Neuroprober – a unique physician who, through the use of cutting-edge technology, is able to venture into the minds of psychological trauma victims for whom traditional treatment methods have proven ineffective. As such, each "level" in Nevermind takes place within the surreal subconscious of one of these victims. The goal is to explore the often dark and twisted world within, solving abstract puzzles as the player recovers fragments of memories (represented by photographs) surrounding the traumatic event. Traumatic experiences, especially those left untreated, take their toll in countless ways, often triggering other serious problems as the victim's subconscious desperately tries to cope. As a result, the patient's mind doesn't take kindly to those who attempt to peel back these layers, often prompting it to lash out in terrifying, unexpected ways. Only the most vigilant of Neuroprobers can survive the horrors of the mind to help their patient find peace at last. Can you? Biofeedback Nevermind uses biofeedback technology to detect the player's levels of stress while playing. When the player starts to become scared or anxious, the game will dynamically respond to their feelings of stress, which in turn directly affects gameplay. Although the biofeedback element makes for a completely unique experience, the player can always play Nevermind without any biofeedback hardware and still have (while opinion and arguable) a "good time". Therapeutic Applications One exciting facet of Nevermind is its potential to serve as a full-fledged therapeutic tool for those who suffer from issues – mild or severe – relating to feelings of stress, anxiety, PTSD, or other similar conditions. Although informal testing results have been promising thus far, the developers are excited to currently be in discussion with researchers and behavioral health experts who are eager to explore Nevermind's potential impact via rigorous clinical trials. Dedicated to creating "games that give back", one of the developers' long-term goals is to craft a health-centric version of Nevermind specifically targeted to help actual patients develop tools to manage and ultimately overcome their conditions. History Nevermind started as a 2012 MFA thesis project at USC’s Interactive Media Program, led by industry veteran Erin Reynolds – who returned to academia to pursue new ways to create "positive" games for traditional gaming audiences. After an academic year, Erin and the Nevermind student development team were able to create one fully-functional level – a proof of concept that demonstrated Nevermind's unique vision and the feasibility of the core technology. Nevermind has since been featured in numerous festivals and nominated for several awards for innovation and technical achievement, including at IndieCade, Games for Change, SIGGRAPH, Unity Unite Awards, and the Serious Games Showcase and Challenge. Future Developments The team at Flying Mollusk is taking the original version of Nevermind ''and developing it into a playable full version. A beta version of ''Nevermind ''will be available on Windows and Mac via Steam Early Access in early 2015. A full version of ''Nevermind ''will be available on Windows, Mac, Xbox One, and Oculus Rift in Fall 2015. References [http://www.nevermindgame.com/about ''Nevermind's official site] Gallery Category:Nevermind Category:Games